COVID-19 Testing Expands In Miami-Dade As Demand Of Antibody Testing & Results Increases
BROWARD (CBSMiami) – Testing for COVID-19 is on everyone's mind as U.S. workers and leaders itch to fully restart the nation's economy. Local, state and federal leaders want to know how widespread the COVID-19 virus is and who might have already been infected and managed to fight it off.
In New York on Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said antibody testing there showed that as much as 13.9% of the population may have had COVID-19.
"These are people who were infected and developed the antibodies to fight the infection," Cuomo said.
Experts suggest that may mean the virus is not as deadly as once thought since more people appear to overcome it.
Doctors at the University of Miami are conducting antibody testing but we do not know the results of that testing at this point.
The push for more antibody testing is coming from multiple corners. The family of Dr. Luis Caldera-Nieves, who worked for Jackson Health System and died of COVID-19, earlier this month, is putting their voices behind the effort. His wife, Carmen, and several of their children tested positive for the coronavirus and they've recovered. They want others like them to get tested so they can donate plasma to help critically ill patients.
"Open a place to test people that already are positive that already are without symptoms in two weeks," Carmen Caldera told CBS 4 News.
It appears the Caldera family may be getting their wish. Miami-Dade said they're starting retesting for positive COVID-19 patents at several sites including Marlins Park, the Youth Fair and the South Dade Government Center.
Experts say the plasma is already working for some seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
"The use of convalescent plasma is rooted in the fact that people that are infected build antibodies to that infection," said Dr. Joshua Lenchus, at Broward Health Medical Center. "Once they recover those antibodies that they developed can then be transfused to people who are critically ill in effort to boost up their immune system to fight the infection."
Some of that plasma donation is being done at OneBlood. Participants need a lab confirmed positive test and symptom free for 14 days before donate plasma.
Testing for COVID-19 continues to expand in South Florida. The National Guard is preparing to open a walk-up testing site in Miami-Dade on Friday. It will be at the Holy Family Catholic Church in North Miami. So far, more than 1500 people have been tested at two walk-up testing sites that opened last week in Broward County. The sites are testing 200 people per day. The state has said that depending on demand, they may increase those numbers.
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